Ideas don't desert you; ideas aren't treasonous to you, but people can be.
Alan DershowitzRead
The law is agnostic about truth. It's very skeptical of ultimate truth. That's why freedom of speech permits lies to be told.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The law does not define absolute truths and allows freedom of expression, even when it involves falsehoods.
This quote by Alan Dershowitz highlights the nature of law in its relationship with truth. It emphasizes that the legal system does not endorse a singular, ultimate truth and instead functions on principles that allow individuals to express themselves, even if that expression includes dishonest or misleading statements. This skepticism towards absolute truth within the framework of law underpins the importance of freedom of speech as a democratic right, even when it may lead to the dissemination of lies.
Themes
LawTruthFreedom Of SpeechLiesSkepticism
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is apt for a debate on media ethics during a journalism symposium.
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It's never acceptable to target civilians. It violates the Geneva Accords, it violates the international law of war and it violates all principles of morality.
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When I was growing up, my mother would always say, 'It will go on your permanent record.' There was no 'permanent record.' If there were a 'permanent record,' I'd never be able to be a lawyer. I was such a bum, in elementary school and high school... There is a permanent record today and it's called the Internet.
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A good lawyer knows how to shut up when he's won his case.
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Scientists search for truth. Philosophers search for morality. A criminal trial searches for only one result: proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
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